The present invention relates generally to storage structures, and more particularly to a draft-inducing roof for storage structures.
With dwindling energy resources, the necessity of harnessing freely available energy resources such as wind and sun is becoming more apparent day by day. Civilizations have come to be because of man's ability to cultivate and produce food-grains. Consequently, their curing and preservation is also a free gift of nature provided that man does not create hostile environments that cause food-grains to spoil. With the advent of heated air curing of grains, this is precisely what has been done.
Ventilation of uncured, field harvested grain requires greater ventilation to remove moisture which has been eliminated from the seed and is present in the interstitial air during the ripening process, as well as moisture and the heat of the respiration as has been taught in U.S. Pat. No. 3,408,747 and copending patent application, Ser. No. 422,760 both to Steffen.
Heretofore all ventilation of field-harvested grain in storage bins has been by means of electrically powered fans. In the open air and in the ear corn crib structures, the natural draft of atmospheric winds provides ventilation and the removal of moisture from the grain. Previously, it has not been possible to utilize naturally occurring atmospheric winds in the newer type of storage structures having solid side walls. These man-made environments have been developed primarily for storing loose grains and for storing corn which has been shelled.
Ventilation of ripe, stored grain is necessary in order to remove moisture and the heat of respiration. It would be desirable to be able to harness the freely available natural resources such as the atmospheric wind for inducing air drafts through the stored grain to provide for natural ventilation from prevailing winds. In Kansas, for example, average annual wind velocities are 15 m.p.h.